I've always wondered if the situation were reversed, and millions of Americans had poured illegally into its southern neighbors' countries illegally, if they would have been treated properly and welcomed.

I lived in AZ for 20 years and observed first-hand the results of our porous borders. An enormous Border Patrol budget. State-wide school district budgets busted beyond repair, due to the need to hire bi-lingual employees for the front office, classroom aides, bus drivers, parent night translators, and the expense of sending every notice home in two languages. This process of course ignored the Eastern European, Africa, Middle East, and Asian immigrants and their language needs. But, what the heck. Thanks to a mid 1970s Supreme Court ruling, no student regardless of status can be turned away from a U.S. public school. Hang the cost, sign 'em up.

The environmental damage alone has been and continues to be catastrophic. One can follow the immigrant trail to the border simply by following the litter of water bottles, food wrappers, old sandals, backpacks, and you name the trash, just sitting out there in a once pristine desert. No one cares. It's the one area that matches South Carolina-a near-completely trashed landscape.

All we have ever asked from immigrants is to come legally, live in peace, assimilate, and do no harm.
There are entire neighborhoods in Phoenix and Tucson where no American flag can be found on display, very little English is spoken, and the local stores are awash again in bi-lingual signs of just two languages.

AZ is a right to work state. Wages are incredibly low there, held down by the flood of immigrants looking for work and willing to do anything, because whatever job they take, it pays far better, without benefits, than anything they had elsewhere. No one else in AZ who worked to educate themselves, can earn a decent living as a result.

Hospital ER's overflow with non-English speaking, non-citizens. The wait, can be hours. The bills for all that treatment are tacked on to the bills of those patients with insurance, primarily U.S. citizens. Hospitals don't provide services for free. They're going to get their fees from somebody.

I am not impressed at all with local immigrants, especially illegals, who are worried about their status. If you broke our laws to get in here, you should be worried. That's because you are a law breaker.

Come in peace, assimilate, learn English, do no harm. Taking out either citizenship or legal work papers is the best way to assimilate. Hiding and crying and dodging our laws and protesting is not the way to make yourselves welcome. We are a nation of immigrants, millions of whom actually went through a rather severe vetting process. You want to live here, then assimilate. Learn English. Become a citizen. Pay your fair share of the freight. We don't need any more freeloaders.